chichitao's group - FULL! (Page 80)

Wow, that was some heat, congrats to Ryan on completing his first HIM in those conditions.  That must have been very scary when he collapsed, especially out of your sight.  I'm glad that all is well and that he didn't end up in the hospital on an IV drip for dehydration.

Good stuff for you on the run, slowly but surely you are getting back in the game of running, before you know it, you will be back to where you were and working on improving speed again!

Race was ok for me.  I finished and that is all I had planned on doing.  I had been told last week the water was 67-68 so I brought my wetsuit.  We were in the ocean on Saturday and the water was really warm, high 70s.  I told John there was no way the water was that cold on the next island over in the bay.  Turns out it really was that much colder.  I found out that the sheltered lagoon where the swim takes place is spring water so you can feel the cold water shooting up at you.  I was on the fence about the wetsuit so I hopped in the water and knew I would be ok without it but still was thinking of wearing it.  I was thinking that with it I would kick less so my legs would be fresher going into the run.  I ended up not wearing it because Logan went over with us and it was just too much of a hassle to get it on with him hanging all over me.

I think my swim time was 7:40 and I was happy with that.  The swim was really great.  I think that is the draw to this event because I really don't see what the attraction to it really is.  Last year the race sold out in 11 minutes and they cap it at 350.  This year it was all lottery. 

My transitions were super slow because I was being real careful running in my bike shoes.  I was not taking any chances.  I also took T2 pretty slow because I knew the run was going to be tough for me.  The bike was a three loop course and was right around 11.5 miles.  It was the most boring bike course ever.  It was three straight out and backs.  We biked down 25 blocks, turned around and biked back and did that three times.  We had a head wind for the out and it sucked.  I have not uploaded my Garmin but I looked at my splits yesterday on it.  I was right around 15 mph on the out and then up over 18 on the back. 

Run sucked but I knew it would.  I knew right away I was not going to be running the whole thing so I was doing run/walk intervals.  It turned out there was an older man doing the same thing because of a bum knee so we did 2 miles of it together.  Thank god for him! 

So I finished but it just sucked and I was disappointed.

Congrats to Ryan, Erica.  The heat can be brutal especially when you are not accustomed to it.  Hope your runs go well.

Sandra, congrats on the Grouse.  I know you will break that 1hr mark!  Nachos and beer, nachos and beer!  haha

Meggan, I know it can be disappointing, but like Sandra said...you competed, you finished, and you did not hurt yourself any further so it sounds like a win to me!   

I had a set back with my knee yesterday.  The last few runs over 3mi I've felt a slight twinge in the knee, but as soon as the run was over it went away.  Well, yesterday, I felt it just stretching before the run (which is a bad sign and the issue I used to have with it) and felt it throughout the run too.  It was sore once I got back home (and only ran a slow 3mi).  I stretched really well, took some ibuprofen, and wrapped it up in ice.  It felt much better after all that but it's got me a little worried that it is acting up again.  Not really sure what I am going to do about it this time.  The PT was basically useless and a waste of money.  Only thing that worked was the injection and not sure I want or can even get one of those every few months.  Frustrating.

That sucks about the knee Tim,  and no you don't want to start relying on those shots, cortisone will harm you more than heal you if used on an on going basis.  If PT isn't working try something else, I still highly recommend finding a doctor or sports med doctor who is a runner, they understand that not running is not an option and will help you find a way to make it work. 

The doc who gave me the shot last time said to give him a call back if it ever flared back up again.  The next step we had talked about at the time was a bone density scan to make sure there was not some type of fracture in there.  I am going to keep running but keep an eye on it very closely and see how it responds to different speeds, distances, etc. 

I started looking up Chi Running and thought about trying to find a local teacher.  I already do a lot of the Chi Running stuff but have never been official taught.  Maybe getting my running form corrected could fix the issue.  I only found one fully licensed teacher in Austin and she is pricey ($125 for a group class so who knows how much for a private session) and I imagine it would take more than one class.  I'll have to think about it.

Tim - Can you explain the chi running?  I don't fully understand it.  That seems like a lot for a running technique, but I know nothing about it!  I agree with avoiding too many injections if you can.  Are there any other options you're aware of?  I'm getting paranoid too about my knee, but I'm not aware of anything else I can do besides keep doing PT and resting it.  Last time I went to the PT though, I asked him to just amputate from the thigh down so that I could get a prosthetic and get on with it already!

Meggan - You are awesome for even attempting that race!  Now get things fixed.  Join the injury club!  We're not so bad!

Sandra - Can you hike that mountain, too?  Have you ever ziplined?  Maybe I'll visit there this fall.  Looks like fun!

Pete - You're a beast for swimming that much! Some days I wonder if I should do duathlon because I'm so indifferent towards swimming.  I'm impressed.

So, I haven't run again since Saturday because life is just crazy.  Summer class gets in the way of everything!  I only have another week of it.  Ugh!

I did finally weigh myself this morning, and I'm so surprised that I'm still hovering around that 159 mark.  Good to know that even though I've been almost totally sedentary for 4 months, I'm still maintaining pretty well.  I wanted to lose more before I started class in fall, but it just wasn't in the cards!  I'm looking to drop by October now that I can do stuff again.

Also, I've been donating plasma, but Ryan found out and doesn't want me to spend it on a powertap.  His motive though is that apparently speedplay is developing a pedal-based system that he wants to wait 'til it comes out! Ha!  So I'm using the money for buying extra clothes at NIKE! Yessss.

The main gist of chi running is to learn to be much more efficient in your running technique and style.  Kind of like swimming...by learning to be more efficient in the water gives you the greatest gains in time over trying to power through the water.  I can't really do it all justice but wikipedia explains it pretty well...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_running

Color me FRUSTRATED.  Went out for a .8 mile run today at like 11 min/mile pace, and it HURT.  I'm so mad now, I just want to quit!  I love my PT, but at what point is it just not working for me?

I think I'm going to go to another orthopedic surgeon soon to get another opinion.  We just found out that the surgeon who did Ryan's shoulder surgery moved down to our area, and he's awesome, so I may get in for a consult.  I'm also thinking of trying some ART.  Other than that, it seems the only option is surgery to shave down the fat pad.  It sounds drastic, but I don't have the patience for this to last much longer, especially after EVERYBODY told me it shouldn't take long to fix.  What's the deal?  Am I just that messed up?

ughhhhhh

I am sorry Erica!  I think Sandra and everyone else needs to stay far away from you, me, and Tim.  Seeing an ortho can't hurt.  What kind of doctor have you seen already? 

I saw my primary care physician, who referred me to an ortho, who I wasn't crazy about at all.  Both my appointments with him were super brief, and he seemed to kind of brush me off, which is why I kind of want to see another to see if an MRI would show anything.  Only reason I'm seeing a PT is because I told him that's what I wanted to do.  And now I'm seeing my PT.  So that's about it.  I'm just mad because our HRA dollars are up, so now we have to start paying towards our deductible.  This could get expensive...

And yes, everybody who isn't injured, please stay away from me!  I have bad ju-ju, I swear!

Our HRA is getting sucked up too because of my Achilles.  I forgot I had an appointment tonight and missed it.  I need to get back in because he has to authorize refills on my medicine.  I don't want to be taking it for a long period of time because it will start to mess with my stomach.  I forgot to take it Tuesday night and have paid for it since.  It is an extended release anti imflammatory so I can only take it at night.  They said if I miss a dose I need to wait until the next night.  It is this way so it will kick in while I am sleeping and I will be good throughout the day.  I limped all day yesterday and most of today.  I was supposed to lift legs with my trainer today and told him no way I was doing squats and lunges. 

I would definitely go see this other doctor if you think he might take a different route.  I have said it before but I also swear by acupuncture.

What is everyone up to this weekend?

We have plans to head to the beach this evening but it depends on the weather.  It is hot and humid here at home and Joe is borderline asthmatic.  He wheezed for a few hours all night long.  I called out of work and just hanging in the house with him today.  John's brother and family are down on vacation right now so we are going to see what the humidity is like and then make our decision.

If we head down, I am meeting some ladies from my tri club tomorrow morning for an ocean swim.  John wants to go watch a rugby tournament tomorrow too.  He played in it last year but not this year.  His college team is playing so him and a few other college guys are going to head to check out their matches.  We are hoping to head to our friends beach house in the evening then.

Ready for the icing on the cake?

Really?

Went to PT again this morning, told him about last night's set back (I've been in pain since the run last night), and he did some more tests on me.  Now he's concerned there might even be the beginning of a meniscus tear! Hooray.  We're stopping any sessions until I get a new line of attack from another ortho.

The first available date with the ortho though is August 3rd at 2pm.  This is the same ortho that did Ryan's shoulder surgery, and he was good, so hopefully it's worth the wait.

At this point, I don't even know what my options are.  And if I do need surgery or something, I may not be able to get it done until January since I'll be gone all fall.

Sorry I'm such a downer everybody!  It's been a rough few months.

Hmm, not sure.  Good idea though!  I will call around on Monday and see if that's possible, since I know I'll have to get one.  Thanks, Meggan!

Did you end up going to the shore then?

Haven't checked in for a while. Have still been logging my workouts and doing them.

Erica-that sucks about the knee! Hang in there and hopefully they figure it out soon.

We are in D.C. right now visiting family. It is hot, hot, hot here too! Can't get away from this heat. Heading to the pool today. doing some sightseeing later hopefully when the sun goes down.

So I have to tell you guys I went to step on Thursday and about half way through the girl next to me asked me if I really should be doing this. I looked at her and was like what?! She said "I just don't think you should be doing this." I was so annoyed. I think she was embarassed because she isn't a regular in the class and was struggling worse than me I think I was showing her up at 26 weeks pregnant! Ha! 

How are you feeling Debbie?

How has the heat been for everyone?  I know we have been having horrible heat and humidity the past few days and not sure when it will break.  Joe had what was probably an asthma attack Friday morning.  I called our family doctor and his allergist and they want to see him this week.  It limited what we did at the shore this past weekend but he did ok. 

Looks like everyone has been keeping busy, unfortunately some of you have been keeping a little too busy with Doctors and Therapists in hopes of healing injuries  Having been through a multitude of injuries over the years, I know it can be frustrating, but don't give up and keep looking for something that will work for you.  Take the time to heal fully, work at building the muscles that surround your injury, so that they can compensate for the weakness.  I really wish I had a magic wand so that I could make them all go away for you!

Debbie, tell that person in the step class to suck it, it would be up to your doctor or the class instructor  to tell you what you can and can't do, not some random stranger, some people are just plain rude!

Well finally summer arrived here on the West Coast this weekend! I managed to get out and enjoy it a lot, but the best part of the weekend was yesterday when I took my dog out for a walk.  Buckley is a rescue dog we got a little over 2 yrs ago, he was a stray so we had no history on him and don't know exactly how old he is, but the guess from the vet at the time was about 6yrs old.  He had no social skills when it came to other animals, most likely suffered some sort of abuse(big scar on his muzzle and several teeth missing) and didn't know how to play at all.  He does however have a great temperment when it comes to people and kids, and is a complete attention suck.  For the longest time I could not take him for a walk where there were any other dogs, because he would just go crazy when he saw one(happy crazy) Other dogs didn't like his energy and would snap at him and then Buckley would get upset and snap back and it just got ugly.

I did lot's of dog training, tried different kinds, including the shock collar and some of it helped.  Several weeks back I took him to a doggy daycare to have him assessed, because we are going away in August and we will need to board him somewhere and this doggy daycare is also a hotel and came highly recommended because they are not kenneled but live in a house with beds and couches they have full access too and great big outdoor spaces with agility equipment and kiddy pools, etc.  To my astonishment, within 10 minutes of bringing him there, Buckley was in with the pack and having a great time.  Since then he has been going once a week and had one sleep over stay, all without any issue.

Yesterday, I planned a dog walk with a girlfriend and her 2 dogs, on a busy dyke that we had never been to before.  He was so great, meeting other dogs along the way, but the greatest thing was when the other 2 dogs with us went running for the water(they were off leash), Buckley wanted to follow, so I climbed down a muddy hill with him and he bounded in the water(He's never done that before)  I decided to be brave and also let him off leash and he had himself a great swim and was very happy.  It seemed that yesterday all the hard work and frustrations of the last couple of years of trying to socialize my dog, paid off.  There were definately small milestones along the way, but watching him play in the water with the other dogs was just amazing!

All in all a great weekend!

i totally think this group is injury jinxed!

went riding with my normal tue group. was 23mi into the ride and 1mi from home, flying down a hill at 30+mph when i didnt see a rock and ran over it.  exploded my front tire.  i saved it for a few seconds but then once i tried to brake and only my metal rims touching the ground on my front wheel it went sliding out from underneath me.  came down hard on my left arm just below the elbow.  told my wife later that it felt like when you hit your funny bone so hard that ur entire arm goes numb.  its like my arm just would not move.  no one was around when it happened and luckily i slid into the grass and not the road, but i called my wife b/c there was no way i could change the tire w/ 1 arm. 

picked me up and we stopped at a local clinic.  xrays showed no major break but it hurt bad.  if i kept my elbow at 90 degrees the pain was a 4 out of 10 but when she had to straighten it for the xrays it was an 8!  i am currently typing 1 handed by the way and apologize for errors/lower case.  they put me in a sling and gave me pain pills.  said at least 3 days in sling.  sent xrays to radiologist for 2nd opinion and waiting on call back to see if there is a small fracture or not.

amazing how hard it is to shower, get dressed, etc w/ one arm.  ended up w/ a ton of road rash and wounds all down my left leg too.  just as it all healed up from the last crash!  not good timing as i had bike plans thur and sun and am traveling to visit my parents this weekend.

hope u all r having a better week!

ps - t2 just completed his 2nd ever HIM 1.5wks ago and did well, so give him some love if u have the time

pss - just got call and no fractures.  doc likened it to an ankle sprain where i possibly damaged tendons/muscles.  no real therapy other than rest for a few days.  said to re-evaluate it next week.  fun times!

Oh Tim that is just awful!  I'm glad it wasn't a break and hopefully once the swelling and bruising subsides it will all be okay.  Really happy you hit grass and not road!  How is the bike? 

I hope you still get to enjoy your weekend and hope the pain subsides quickly!

Nothing exciting going on this weekend, just the usual of running, climbing mountains and dog walking....maybe fit in some time at the lake, since the weather looks like it may just cooperate.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I hope everyone had a good weekend!

I went on a short road trip and visited with some family.  Had a good time.

Arm is SLOWLY getting better.  I still can't straighten it out or bend it fully in, but the range of motion is improving.  I can now type again with 2 hands!  I still can't grip anything with any strength and can only pick up very light things with it.  Going to take my bike wheel into the shop today to see what kind of damage was done.

Happy Monday!

Glad to hear you are recovering from your bike accident, and I hope that your wheel faired better than your arm and just needs a new tire. 

We've had a reasonably good weekend here, with the weather cooperating for the most part.  Also happy to have moved off my plateau weight-wise and lost 1.2 lbs this past week. 

Nice short work week, with today being a holiday, but Friday I will be having some minor surgery that will have me unable to do much of anything for about a week...ugh! 

Didn't you just have recent minor surgery?  Is this related?  Can you say what you are having done?